The Gruesome Obsession
by IrishPrincess3
Summary: Loren White has been a fixture in the Hotchner boys' lives. For the past year, Loren has been spending half her life with Aaron and Jack, taking care of them. But when the BAU deals with a case that has similarities to Loren's life, her whole world is thrown about in a whirlwind of danger and terror.
1. Chapter 1

"_I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses." - Friedrich Nietzsche_

Jack Hotchner ran around the small apartment with glee, holding his toys and mumbling words here and there. He was pretending he was his dad and stopping criminals, who happened to be his stuffed animals at the moment. Loren White laughed lightly at the small boy's antics and returned to her grading. For about a year she had been watching Jack for Aaron, his father, who was always busy working. Ever since his wife, Haley, had died, he had entrusted Loren and his sister-in-law Jessica to watch his son. Since Aaron hadn't called about leaving on a case, she knew he would be home soon. Marking in red on a few papers, she paused and glanced around the Hotchner apartment. It was the same as it had been since the first time she had ever saw it. White walls, dark flooring with leather accents. It was… impersonal. There were a few pictures of Jack and Aaron, but none of Haley. Jessica explained that Aaron had been so depressed after Haley's death, that Jessica had to take all of the photos down. She didn't throw them away, she merely put them in a box that rested in the back of a closet. Loren had never seen what Haley looked like, but she assumed she was beautiful. Rubbing her eyes, Loren noticed how quiet it had gotten.

"Jack?" She called out. Nothing, complete silence. "Jack, come on out." Loren stood and walked out of the living room to the kitchen. Peering around the island, she noticed his stuffed animal, who was portraying the bad guy, was lying on the floor. Picking up the stuffed bear, Loren walked further down the small hallway and into Aaron's room since it was the closest. "Buddy?" All of a sudden a small body smacked straight into her body, making her topple over. Jack began tickling Loren while letting loose small giggles at her. "Stop! Stop, you little monster." She joked and grabbed his body, pulling him to her so she could hug him. "You scared me, buddy." She laughed and Jack was smiling at her with his brown eyes wide and bright.

"What are you guys doing on the floor?" At the sound of his dad's voice, Jack jumped up and ran past Loren to him. Loren caught her breath and sat up a bit, turning to see the stern looking man behind her. He was tall, around six foot, with dark hair and eyes. Aaron Hotchner was the epitome of seriousness and practically embodied an alpha male.

"Jack decided he wanted to scare me." Loren shrugged and smiled at how happy Jack seemed. His little arms were wrapped around Aaron's legs and he was muttering nonsense. "You're earlier than I expected." Standing up, she grinned at the man who stood before her and patted Jack's head as she walked past them.

"Finished my work pretty fast." Was all he said as he watched the brunette walk into his kitchen. Loren was the exact opposite of Haley Hotchner. Loren was short, dark haired and green eyed while Haley had been tall, blonde and brown eyed. He had met her one evening when he was grocery shopping. She had been having trouble reaching something and Aaron had swooped in and got it for her. That chance meeting hadn't been the only one after that. They met again while running in the local park, and once again at Jack's school. Loren was a tenth grade teacher and a volunteer there and was helping out with Jack's school play. He hadn't immediately asked Loren to watch Jack, but it didn't take long for the brunette to win him over. After Garcia had done an extensive background check, Loren proved to be as honest and innocent as she seemed. She was an only child to deceased parents and had never gotten any sort of tickets or charges. Loren had earned her bachelors in Education a few years ago and had just recently started teaching at Jack's elementary school.

"What do you boys want for dinner?" Loren questioned as she stacked up her graded papers.

"Pizza!" Jack shouted, still attached to his dad.

"How does pizza sound, Aaron?" She asked the older Hotchner boy with a hand on her hip.

"Perfect." He shrugged and pulled Jack away from him for a moment. "Buddy, I am going to change. Why don't you go pick up your toys?" Jack nodded and ran off, gathering his stuffed animals. Aaron shut his bedroom door to change, so Loren took that opportunity to order the pizza. She had grown accustom to what each Hotchner boy liked to eat. Aaron liked only pepperoni and peppers on his pizza, while Jack loved just cheese. Loren herself liked just pepperoni, but after eating pizza with peppers on it for awhile, she ended up dealing with it. So, as a compromise, she ordered a medium pizza with a half as cheese the other half pepperoni with peppers.

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><p>Aaron came down the stairs moments later wearing sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Loren loved this moments. Usually Aaron Hotchner was "uptight" and stoic, he always wore dress shirts, ties and dress pants. When he wore sweatpants or even jeans, Loren always had to stop and stare a bit, making sure it wasn't a dream. And then she felt jealous that she didn't have comfy clothes to change into. Her sleeveless blouse, dress jeans and blazer were not lounging clothes. Settling on the couch while Aaron picked a child-appropriate movie, Loren slid off her blazer and folded it. Jack had finished cleaning his toys up and climbed onto the couch into Loren's lap. Aaron had glanced up and saw the two, a painful feeling hit his chest as he thought of Haley. Looking away and catching his breath, he stood and sat next to the two. The three of them spent some time watching the beginning of the movie before the pizza arrived. Aaron handed Loren money and she went to retrieve the food.<p>

"Hello." She smiled, opening the door. The boy holding the pizza happened to be a new student of hers, Josh Rogers. "Oh, Josh. It's nice to see you." She saw him glance back at Aaron who had straightened a bit when she opened the door.

"You too, Ms. White." He coughed. "That'll be ten fifty." Loren handed him the money and he collected exact change for her. Making sure she gave him a tip, she almost shut the door when Josh put his hand out.

"Uhm, anything you need, Josh?" She could hear rustling behind her and glanced behind her to see Aaron on full alert. She was too. When Josh had put his hand out to stop the door, her heart jumped a bit, a natural reaction.

"Just wondering if you were done grading our tests." He questioned, eyes zoning in on Aaron who had gotten closer.

"I have. You'll know you're grade tomorrow, Mr. Rogers. Thanks for the pizza." She saw a flicker of annoyance but he gave a smile and waved goodbye. Shutting the door tightly, she made sure to chain it and deadbolt it. Jack, unaware of anything, was still sitting on the couch engrossed in the movie. Aaron relaxed a bit but gave her a look, silently asking her if she was alright, and she was. Josh didn't cause her any harm, just scared her a bit. After both of them calmed down, they called Jack into the kitchen where they ate their fill. It was nearly nine o'clock, Jack's bedtime. While his father tucked him in, Loren cleaned up and turned off the TV. She gathered her papers and folders so she could pack up and then slid her blazer back on. Loren hated this part. She had always felt so comfortable around the Hotchner's that she never wanted to leave. Unfortunately, she had her own home and couldn't technically stay.

"Leaving?" She heard a voice behind her ask.

"Early morning. I still have some papers to grade." Loren answered, turning to see the oldest Hotchner watching from the front door.

"You're alright driving home?"

"Well, I did have two glasses of pop, but I don't think I'm _that_ buzzed." He laughed, a rare occurrence. "Thanks for worrying, Aaron. I'll be fine." She grabbed her keys.

"I'll walk you out." The two ventured out into the cool night together, whispering about random things. Aaron held Loren's things while she unlocked her car and then waved to her goodbye when she backed out. Shaking his head, he realized that Loren had become an integral part of his and Jack's life.


	2. Chapter 2

**There will be a few shorter chapters like this. **

**It is needed for my ****plot line! Enjoy! **

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><p>If only she knew how important she was to <em>him<em>. He watched her nearly every day from his laptop, enjoying the way her body swayed with her steps. An obsession she was indeed. If only he could touch her lovely chestnut hair, or gaze into her emerald green eyes. He could imagine his hands running down her body, stopping to admire her healthy bosom before trailing lower. He could feel himself getting harder by the second, but he knew that it wasn't the time. His favorite parts of watching her was when she was taking a shower or stripping to finally sleep. As sick and twisted as he was, he even enjoyed it more when he caught her pleasuring herself. A rare event it was, because Ms. Loren White didn't partake in such activities that much.

When he realized how much time she was spending away from home, he had become enraged. When he had first planted his cameras in her home nearly a month and a half ago, he assumed she'd be home all the time. She was single for god's sake! Shaking his head at the thought of where she spent her time, his hands clenched. He had no clue why a woman of her stance would hang out with a dull man such as Aaron Hotchner.

He was better than Agent Hotchner. More educated, more skilled, more emotional. At least he smiled unlike the goddamn agent. Fury curled into his blood and he could feel the jealousy squirming into his brain. What made SSA Aaron Hotchner so special? Nothing! Absolutely nothing at all. Knowing tonight was not the night to finally enjoy the woman he had watched for awhile, he hunted another. He didn't have just _one_ obsession, but Loren was his notable one.

His prize.

So off he went, sneaking into another woman's home to fulfill his needs since Loren was not obtainable yet.

Soon, he thought, soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The story hit the news as soon as the cops arrived on the scene. As particularly gruesome as this was, Aaron couldn't seem to stomach it. It didn't sit right with him. The BAU was called to the scene as well, considering this was the third woman killed in a month and a half. It seemed that the women all had a common theme. Single, brunette, around thirty and in the educational field. Maybe that's why he couldn't stomach it, because all the women looked extremely like Loren. Pushing aside his feelings, he jumped right into gear and sent off his team members to the varying scenes while him and Reid stayed at the new one.

"He seems to be sophisticated, but it seems a bit juvenile." Reid commented.

"Are you talking about the romantic dinner and rose petals? Not only that, but the music. Not everyone would play modern pop for a fancy dinner." Aaron added, eyes scanning the room. Her dining room was littered with red rose petals and the table was set for two. Candles had been lit at one point and it seemed that the unsub had paid close attention to detail. Inside the small CD player was a well known 21st century band. "He had this all planned. He knew what he wanted to do."

"How did he get in?"

"No sign of forced entry." A random cop commented, holding a bag filled with blood covered panties. "He must have had a key or something, because all the windows and doors had no damage."

"Where did you find those?" Aaron questioned.

"Her bedroom. He must have ended the night there, we found semen all over the place." The cop pointed to the underwear. "We're hoping we can get some clues from this."

"Let us know." The cop nodded and left, leaving the two BAU profilers by themselves. "So he makes them have a fancy dinner, and then finishes his plan in the bedroom. He's hoping for a good night."

"And then he becomes enraged when the woman refuses him." Reid stated. "By the amount of stab wounds and the strangulation of the victim, it seems rage was involved. He must have been embarrassed, or something went wrong that caused him to stab the victim thirty times." Aaron was silent as they entered the woman's bedroom. Blood coated the bed, the carpet and the walls. It looked like a scene from a horror film.

"He has to have something he is ashamed of. Nothing horribly humiliating, only to him."

"Maybe she provoked him?" Reid asked.

"She laughed at him. Made him feel inferior about his self."

"It makes sense." The two men finished up their profiling and met up with the rest of the group at the local police station. When a profile was given, the detectives and cops dispersed and JJ went to talk with the media. They had all piled up outside the building and made it impossible to leave without getting heckled. No one had noticed anything horribly out of place in any of the victims homes, they were all in perfect order. But luckily Morgan had saw an important clue before he and Emily had left one of the victims homes.

A camera, hidden in a corner. No one would have ever seen it if they hadn't been looking closely. While Penelope worked on gathering as much information off of the camera, Aaron stepped out of the conference room. Loren was probably almost done at work, since it was nearly three and most likely had Jack with her. She always ended up picking up Jack from his classroom when he was done since they were in the same building.

"Aaron?" He heard her melodic voice and smiled a bit. "Is something wrong? You never call this early."

"No, no, nothing is wrong.." He cleared his throat, knowing that something _was_ wrong, but he didn't want her worried. "I just want you to stay at my house tonight. Uhm, it might be a late night so Jack will need you there till I get home." It wasn't the first time he had asked her to do this, but this time it was for his own reasons. Usually she would just take Jack to her house, or Jessica's.

"Are you sure? I can just have him stay at my house." She sounded concerned, and that made his heart clench.

"Please, just go to my house, alright? I can't explain right now, just trust me." He heard her sigh.

"Sure, anything you want. I have to stay late to tutor a student but Jack seems to be fine. He is doing his homework."

"Just let me know when you're home." And that was the end of the conversation. Letting out a deep breath, Aaron rubbed his eyes and slid his phone back into his pocket. This whole case was putting him on edge. It was close to home, he decided. Returning to his team, they began brainstorming.

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><p>"Hey, Ms. White." Loren looked up to see Josh Rogers standing at his classroom door. He noticed Jack in the corner and gave a narrowed look but smiled at Loren. "Ready for our tutoring session?"<p>

"Just a minute." Loren stood and walked over to Jack, kneeling down to his level. "Hey, Jack? Mind staying a bit longer?"

"Sure.. Will you still help me with this?" He waved his paper around.

"Of course I will, buddy. Let me know if you need help." She glanced back to see Josh watching them and she lowered her voice a bit. "Your daddy is pretty busy at work so it's just gonna be you and me tonight. Is that okay?"

"Are we goin' to your house, Loren?"

"No, buddy, we're gonna stay at yours. Your dad said I can tonight, is that alright?"

"I love it when you stay over!" He exclaimed and Loren's grin grew.

"Alright, just relax for awhile and then we'll go." She stood and caught Josh staring at her behind, making her frown. He couldn't possibly be checking her out. Shaking away the nervous feeling, she sat back at her desk and Josh pulled a chair up. "I still don't understand why you need some extra help, Mr. Rogers. You seem to be doing perfectly fine in my class."

"Extra help never hurts." he shrugged and scooted a bit closer. Loren coughed and tried her best not to be bothered but she couldn't help it. She had never felt uncomfortable with a student before, so she had no idea why he made her so nervous. The two of them went over a few things for a little longer and soon Josh said he had to leave for work. Once he had left, Loren collected Jack and her things and the two of them set off to Aaron's house.

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><p>When Loren had helped Jack finish his homework, he went to his room to play while she made dinner. It was getting dark out and she made sure to check all the doors and windows. Something was bothering her tonight. It must have been stress or just sheer exhaustion, but Loren pushed on and made homemade spaghetti and garlic bread. Making a plate for Jack and herself, she quickly made an extra for Aaron and left it in the fridge. Bedtime came quickly and she was reading a story to Jack when the doorbell rang. Warning bells rang in her head because she knew no one would come over to Aaron's house at this time of night. Ignoring it with a frown she finally tucked Jack in and cracked his door shut in case he needed anything. The doorbell never rang again and she didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. Peeking into the living room, Loren noticed nothing out of place and sighed. She was just being paranoid. Stepping further into the room she immediately froze at the sight of a shadow on the carpet. The light from the front porch illuminated whoever was outside through the front door's window. Her heart constricted and her breathing became ragged when the doorbell rang once again.<p>

It was a lone one, and the shadow moved away. That gave Loren enough incentive to rush to the kitchen to grab the nearest knife and the phone. Taking a couple steps back into the hallway where the bedrooms were, Loren held her breath, waiting. Nothing, there was nothing. And then there was creak and the sound of the door opening quietly. This was it, she thought, she was going to either fight or die if it was a stranger. The footsteps grew closer which only made her freeze more. As the shadow loomed around the corner, her hands grew sweaty and the knife fell from her grasp.

"Loren?" A scream tore up her throat but she immediately clamped a hand over her mouth at Aaron. He was staring at her with a tired look but it was easily seen that he was on full alert. Tears welled in her eyes and she dropped the phone she held and leaned against the wall. "Hey, what's wrong? What the hell are you doing with a knife?" He picked it up and put it back in the kitchen. She didn't answer him because she was choked up with terror and relief.

"W-was that you, uhm, ringing the bell?" She asked with a hoarse voice.

"This is my house, I have a key. I don't need to ring the bell." He looked even more confused. That caused some more tears to well and soon she was letting out quiet sobs. "What? Loren?"

"Someone w-was out t-there." Was all she managed to get out before Aaron was out of the room with his gun in hand. The front door opened and closed and soon she was alone. Sliding down the wall to a crumpled position on the floor, Loren covered her head and cried some more, hoping to get it out of her system. Minutes passed before Aaron was back inside and kneeling before her.

"You're fine, we're fine. No one is out there." He whispered in fear of waking Jack. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he felt her shake a bit. "Look at me." She obliged with teary eyes and looked up at him. "Tell me what happened."

"I was putting Jack t-to bed and the d-door rang. No one comes at this time of night, so I ignored it." She explained. "I knew better. It never rang again which bothered me, but I decided it wasn't anything to w-worry about. I c-came back out there to s-sit and I saw a shadow from the door." She hiccuped a bit from all of the crying. "The bell rang a-again and then the shadow was gone. I panicked." He nodded, processing what happened. Someone had tried to get into his house. Someone could have hurt Loren and Jack.

"I promise you I won't let anything happen, alright?" Aaron gave her an unwavering look and she nodded. "Come on, let's get you up and ready for bed. You look like you need the rest." She had to admit he was right considering she was a blubbering mess on the floor. "You can stay in my room and I'll stay in the living room." That was the last few words they said that night as the two of them prepared for bed. Unknown to Loren, Aaron barely slept that night, worrying about what would have happened if he hadn't come home.


End file.
